Question: As one who often attends public lectures on Jewish topics, I like to take advantage of the questions and answers session which usually follows the lecture to ask the speaker about something which bothers me. The response sometimes is "I will answer that question in private." The trouble is that, upon concluding, the speaker is surrounded by people congratulating him, and I don't get a chance to hear his answer. What is the right thing to do?

Answer: First of all, you must appreciate that the speaker is not trying to brush aside your question but feels that his answer is not for public consumption because of its sensitive nature. He is probably sincere in his promise to answer you in private and telephoning him at his home or office will afford you the opportunity to hear what he has to say.